Committee weighs pilot to open residential habilitation center dental clinics to community patients

Committee staff described House Bill 2314 as a pilot allowing people with developmental disabilities who meet high-acuity criteria to receive dental care at Residential Habilitation Centers (RHCs) when community care is unavailable.

Rep. Josh Penner, sponsor, framed the bill as using existing state-owned dental capacity: "We're already paying for these dentists... The lights are on. The chairs are there," he said, arguing the pilot would match idle capacity with unmet community need without capital expansion.

Public testimony split along lines of approach. Guardians, professional caregivers and union representatives described long waits for specialty dental care and painful unmet need. Karina Tarji, a professional guardian, said, "Dental care for developmentally disabled persons in the community is abysmal," and urged expanded access.

Disability-rights groups including The Arc of Washington and self-advocates opposed relying on institutional clinics. Stacy Dim of The Arc said the bill "would funnel individuals into institutional settings for dental care," arguing it conflicts with community-integration goals and recommending investment in community capacity and Medicaid rate reforms instead.

Committee members did not take a vote during the hearing; the discussion highlighted trade-offs between immediate access using existing state facilities and long-term investments in community-based dental infrastructure.